Step 7: Touching up

Step 8: Congratulations

You now know how to solder SMD components, this knowledge should work with any SMD component.

Many people here might think SMD is impossible since the pins are so small and solder wants to cling onto every pin but it actually is very easy. This will teach you the basics of SMD Soldering if you build anything that works with SMD soldering and my tutorial helped you I would like you to post the picture.

WARNING: SMD components are very sensitive to heat, make sure you let your SMD cool down after every step.

I will start adding videos to this:

Making the base:

Place the SMD:

Since I was using a broken SMD here I forgot to do this, after soldering a side of pins the SMD will grow very hot get your sponge and hold it on the smd until it cools off, do this after the other side also. The reason you should do this is because you do not want the SMD to overheat and break.

Step 1: How they look

SMD components can be of all shapes and sizes most of the time the really small items or ones with many pins are SMD. Here are some SMD components.

Step 2: Get your parts

Now go take your time and go find all the SMD components your heart desires BUT make sure the breadboard or PCB you are soldering them to is compatible with them. I used a old phone-line PCI card for this tutorial.

Tools:

Soldering Iron
Forceps
Desoldering Braid
Solder
Scissors
Moist sponge

Use scissors to cut off peices of desoldering braid

Step 3: Set-up your workspace

I like using a table, you can use anything you like as long as it is clean and flat. I usually place a sheet of paper under my breadboard or PCB to help me consentrate. This peice of paper will also catch any solder that comes off the board. This is the step you should start warming up your soldering iron.

Step 4: Tin your tip

I forgot to film this part (woops) so I suggest you go to this instructable:

Not to be a smart ass but that's not true with BGA they have sold balls on the bottom that you cannot get with a soldering iron, you'd have to use a hot air station. Or the IC's that have a heat sink on the bottom.

Good instructable, I would also recommend using a liquid flux if you don't want to waste most of your solder.

This was really helpful! I won the homemade holidays runner up prize. This was a hackable christmas card. All the components were super small. This will help me. Thanks! But one question. Why did you remove your videos?

I kind of stopped using instructables, but the account I hosted these videos on was deleted, and I don't have backups for the videos. I'm going to try to make a new version of this with better videos and pictures.

I noticed that you did not use any additional flux. I realize that the solder contains flux, but I used to build prototype, demonstration boards by hand. They contained many surface mount devices. If you coat both the circuit board pads along with the component connections with flux, the solder will lay flatter and in many cases you will not need to use the desoldering braid. Water based flux is the best, if you use rosin paste, you will have a larger clean chore.

By "water based", I assume you mean "water soluble" which generally requires cleaning afterwards. Not all fluxes require cleaning as the residues in some don't corrode and are non-conductive. I use an organic flux at work that requires cleaning as it will lead to corrosion if left, but it leaves a nice looking PCB when finished. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solder_flux for details.

The important thing to remember for your "base" step is that the pads need to be flat and smooth. Particularly with fine pitch parts, I like to remove as much solder as I can, then brush my iron across the pads to leave a smooth surface. If you have a liquid flux, adding the flux to the board before using your iron can help a great deal with getting solder to flow (just don't forget to clean afterwards if you're using organic flux).

I was having a hell of a time reattaching a mini-usb connector that popped off. I was having similar problems with the pins being small and close together. I think this is going to help a lot! Thanks!!